TRIP REPORT - LRK
Location: Indian Wild Ass Sanctuary, Little Rann of Kutch, Gujarat
Contact: +919676802424
Tour Report:
The whole trip started in a mess: I was late for the flight
from Hyderabad and the train
delayed by 8 hours from
Nagpur. We finally managed to reach Ahmadabad at around
2pm and we were pleasantly
surprised to see Rosy starlings
at the railway station in huge
numbers. For a bird lover the
trip couldn’t have started better.
Day – 1: We drove from Ahmadabad to a place called Bajana where our resort was – Royal Safari Camp. Despite the fact that we were in transit for more than 30 hours we decided ‘not’ to freshen up and get straight into the jeep for our first safari. Since this was the first time I was visiting a topography like this I asked myself a question – is this really the place that holds the numerous species of raptors, endemic life forms and the Asiatic Wild Ass? The answer was right in front of my eyes- a single Asiatic Wild Ass wandering under the warm October late afternoon sun.
The moment I saw it I knew that we were in for a treat for the next 3 days. Within the next half hour we saw more of them in small groups of 2’s and 3’s grazing on the xerophytic vegetation that the vast cover of saline mudflats the sanctuary supports.
We then finally reached the large water body close to Ooru where there were plenty of water birds like Dalmatian Pelicans, Flamingoes and other waders. After meeting the other participants we decided to call it a day as it was getting dark and decided to get back to the resort.
On our way back we sighted our first Short Eared Owl strategically placed to monitor the insect activity happening on top of its head, least concerned with the attention that it was getting from us. Despite the bad quality of the image I really wanted to share the moment as I instantaneously perceived the setting identical to that of a theatre with the artiste placed at centre stage.
The day finally ended after a warm shower and some simple yet fantastically prepared food at the dining area where we met all the other trip members who were from various backgrounds yet united with a common interest – wildlife photography.
Day – 2: Next day we were up early and raring to go. We had decided to camp near the lake and take up positions and concentrate on our target bird species. On our way to the camp we came across all 3 types of Harriers available in the area – Marsh, Montague’s and the elegant Pallid Harrier all of whom kept gliding above our heads looking for insects. We spent a significant amount of time running after them but were never lucky to get one close and decided to move on. After clicking a few species near the lake we decided to retreat. 2
We were accompanied by a flock of Black Drongos who kept following us right next to the jeep. At first we thought that they are trying to scare us away as they probably had their nests close by but then our driver cleared the confusion stating the actual reason, something that I had read a while back. The birds fly right next to the jeep to catch small insects that start flying when the jeep moves. I had never experienced something like this before, atleast 7-8 of them at an arm’s length.
For our evening safari we decided to try a different area specifically for the McQueen’s or the Hoobaara Bustard which was probably not a good idea as the group was big and distractions many. 1 of the jeeps did sight 3 of them but they quickly disappeared and were never seen again. Apart from that were able to click a few landscapes with a few wild asses being very cooperative.
Day – 3: Our penultimate day at LRK was nothing less than sheer craziness!! After our morning safari we decided do something that I personally had never done in my life earlier and that was to continue to stay in the park and extend the morning safari to the afternoon session which was complete madness for the ordinary but for us it was a motivation to click the Short Eared Owl to glory.
We had packed our breakfast along with us but that was clearly not going to be enough. While we were resting under a few bushes close to the owl colony I decided to walk along and explore nearby for other species of birds. I came across some Desert Wheaters, Harriers, Shrikes, Starlings, Sandgrouses and of course the curios looking Short Eared Owls who were always alert of our presence and with the slightest approach they would take to the air and somehow manage to disappear.
We received our lunch at around 2pm from the resort and were really relieved as we had gulped close to 10 bottles of water and there was nothing around us to quench the thirst. What came out of the lunch box was a little disappointing for a non-vegetarian like me – a bowl full of fruits , bread butter etc. I quickly decided to pass this to our driver –Mehmood and share with him his lunch box which had some delectable Biryani (the occasion being Bakrid). I was thrilled with the affable attitude that these guys had.
By 4pm we were again on our toes looking for the owls and knew that with the sun moving away from the overhead position the owls would now start coming out of the short shrubs in the opposite direction where we had already positioned ourselves. Clicking these owls is not easy as it is to read in the above lines. One really needs a combination of skills to get closer to them without disturbing them.
I have listed out a few below:
a. Understanding the behavior of the birds (SEO’s in this case)
b. A good understanding of the terrain (LRK)
c. General understanding of wildlife photography
d. And most importantly patience
With all of this happening I was forgetting one very important point – Battery Backup. Thankfully Canon has done some amazing work with the new Li-Ion batteries that the 7d houses which has some real fire power to stay awake and performing for hours.
Day – 4:
After a day full of action we finally entered our final day at LRK. We left early for our safari without Prashant who was down with fever and was not able to move. For the last safari we decided to target some raptors and the Common Crane. We got an opportunity to chase a kestrel for sometime before it obliged us with some manageably decent records.
Two birds that I had really come here for were the Merlin & the Peregrine Falcon which however were not seen by any of the tour participants.
This safari however had other plans for us. We came across the European Roller which is a passing migrant and spent some time with it. LRK never fails to surprise one with the rich biodiversity that it supports.
During our retreat to the resort we saw another heard of wild asses and obviously decided to click some more shots as none of us knew when we would be able to come to this bird haven again, although I knew deep inside me that I have to visit this place again for the stories that I have heard about the Desert Foxes, Desert Cats and obviously my current targets – the mighty and fast Peregrine and the timid yet gracious Merlin.
Common Crane Adult
Finally we end our trip with a group picture and some great memories and moments to take back.
About LRK :
LRK is the last refuge to the Indian Wild Ass also known as Khur in the local language. Though a bleak landscape it is rich in biodiversity and is an ecologically important area for wildlife and many local and migratory water birds like cranes, ducks, pelicans, flamingoes and land birds like sand grouse, francolins and the Indian bustards. It is also home to various unique mammals apart from wild Ass such the Indian Wolf (Canis indica), Desert Fox (Vulpes vulpes pusilla) and Nilgai (Boselaphus tragocamelus). LRK is the house to 315 species of birds out of which 11 are globally threatened. I will list out the bird checklist at the end of the report.
The Rann is one of the most remarkable and unique landscapes of its kind in the entire world. It is a vast desiccated, unbroken bare surface of dark silt, encrusted with salts which transforms into a spectacular coastal wetland after the rains.
The present saline desert of the Little Rann (saline desert-cum-seasonal wetland) of Kutch is believed to have been shallow sea. The variety of the geomorphic facets of Kutch such as the present surface configuration, its landforms, drainage characteristics and relief pattern clearly reveals a complex interplay of tectonics, sea-level changes and lithology as also erosion and deposition.
The present saline desert of the Little Rann (saline desert-cum-seasonal wetland) of Kutch is believed to have been shallow sea. The variety of the geomorphic facets of Kutch such as the present surface configuration, its landforms, drainage characteristics and relief pattern clearly reveals a complex interplay of tectonics, sea-level changes and lithology as also erosion and deposition.
Some key info about LRK:
Best time to Visit: Between Nov-Feb
Go there for: Wild Ass, Hoobara Bustard, Desert Fox, Flamingoes and other migrating birds
Place to stay: Royal Safari Camp, Bajana
Closest Airport: Ahmadabad
Other places around LRK: Nalsoravar, Thol Lake
Please send me your inquiries at Supreet.sahoo@gmail.com/+919676802424 in case you need any more info. Do stay tuned for further trip reports on upcoming trips to Sikkim, GRK and Hemis NP.
Finally I would like to end the blog with some more images from the trip. Thanks and do leave your valuable feedback or send me a message in case you need any info regarding LRK.Also please be kind enough to let me know in case you are interested to use any of the images for personal use. All the images in the blog are copyrighted to my name.
